Plumber&#39;s sewer snake apparatus



y 1949- A. SILVERMAN PLUMBERS SEWER SNAKE APPARATUS Filed April s, 1948 INVENTOR. ABRAHAM 5/4 VfRMflN BY Ms Arrow/5% Patented May 17, 1949 STATES Application April 1 Claim.

More particularly my" present invention relates to the type. of apparatus; comprising what is known as a sewer snake and a shell for housing the same:

Among the objects which I'have-in view is the provision ct newandimproved means for retating the snake in the sewer.

Another object in view is the provision of improved means for reversing the snake in the housing shell so that either end of the snake may be inserted intothe sewer:

Another object in viewisv the provision of improved meansfor clamping the shake tothe shell= so that by turning the shell the snake may be rotated in the sewer.

Other objects will be apparent from the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein is illustrated a practical embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the shell with the snake protruding from the neck of the shell and the handgrip mounted on the eccentrically located threaded stem of the shell;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the shell with the handgrip mounted ec'centrically on the shell;

Fig. 3 is in part an elevation on enlarged scale and looking from the right in Fig. 1, and in part a vertical section taken in the plane of the dotted line 3-3 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged elevation of the clamp member.

Fig. 5 is an elevation showing an electric drill mechanism attached to the axial threaded stem of the shell to rotate the snake in the sewer.

Referring to the drawings, It! indicates the conical shell in which the snake, indicated at H, is stored and from which it is fed into the sewer to clean the latter. At its apex the shell is provided with a feed opening l2 surrounded by a flattened rim l3. The floor M which closes or bottom of the shell is provided with two threaded studs l5 and IS, the stud It being axially secured to the floor l4 exteriorly thereof while the second stud I6 is eccentrically mounted on the shell.

The perimetral wall of the shell ll) is provided with the hand-openings l1 and [8, formed in the opposite sides of the shell, the opening 11 being adjacent the feed. opening 12, while the opening [8 is more adjacent the floor M.

A tubular throat member l9 has its inner end inserted in the feed opening l2 and is welded in place as at 20. 2| indicates a collar which has a drive-fit on the throat member i9 and fits closely against the flattened rim l The outer end portion of. the throat member is is internallythreaded' as at 22; 23 indicates memberhaving its outer end knurled armnlarknob 24 fixed The outer' portion of the clamp. 23 is exteriorly' threaded to engage the interior threaded portion 22' of the throat: member I9. 25 indicates an annular series of equally spaced slots cut in the wall of the clamp member. 23, forming a seriesof spaced tongues 25 which extend at a point intermediate the threaded portion of the clamp member 23 to the inner end thereof, the freeextremities of" the tongues be.- ing' beveled inwardly; as shown at 21*, to engage the curvedsurface of an annular internai shoulder in the throat member l9 provided by the inner wallof a" circumferential groove 28 rolled or otherwise formed" in" the wall of" the throat member I9. 29 indicates a sleeve rotatably surrounding the throat member and bearing at its inner end against the collar 2|. The sleeve is preferably of brass or copper and is held against longitudinal movement on the throat member by having a groove 30 spun thereon and fitting in and engaging the groove 28. The sleeve 29 is held by the hand of the operator when the shell and snake are being rotated in the removal of a sewer obstruction.

3| indicates a handgrip having a tubular internally threaded base portion so that it may be selectively screwed onto the axial stud IE or the eccentric stud l6. When the shell and snake are to be rotated by hand, the grip 3| is mounted on the eccentric stud [6 or the axial stud l5, whichever the operator prefers.

Where it is desired to use power to rotate the snake, an electric motor, such as that of an electric hand drill, indicated at 32 in Fig. 5, is used, its chuck being applied to the axial stud l5 for that purpose.

33 indicates the down head of the snake consisting of an enlarged boring portion connected by a universal joint to the snake. When the down head is to be inserted into the sewer the snake is loaded and coiled in the shell by feeding it inwardly through the throat IS, the clamp member 23 being retracted to permit the tongues to separate. When the down head approaches the outer end of the throat the clamp member is screwed in, causing the tongues to engage the inner wall of the groove and to be forced inwardly to clamp the snake against movement relative to the shell. When the snake is to be fed into the sewer the clamp is retracted to release the grip of the tongues on the snake and'the latter is drawn out and fed into the sewer. When an obstruction I claim: In plumbers sewer snake apparatus, the combination with a flexible sewer snake of a shell in snake may be projected, a tubular neck member fixed to the shell and axially aligned with the feed aperture, the outer portion of the bore of the neck member of the depression in the wall of forming means engageable by the gripping fingers to clamp said fingers against the snake as the tubular clamp member is screwed into the bore of the neck.

ABRAHAM SILVERMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

